Olija Reviews
Olija subverts the expectations of an unforgiving old-school adventure for something more fun and breezing, verging on slapstick combat, yet still dripping with atmosphere thanks to its impressionistic pixel art and excellent audio. Being a castaway makes for a good escape.
This game made me feel like a swashbuckling stranger in a foreign land for a couple of evenings, and left me wanting more. What’s there is lean and sometimes exquisite, but there wasn’t time to fully explore the different weapons (or try on all those dapper hats) before Faraday’s adventure came to an end after around six hours. I could have spent twice as long exploring this beautiful and mysterious creation, but I’m grateful nonetheless for the journey I’ve had.
Olija is more than just the sum of its parts. Its action-platform-with-a-bit-of-metrodavania formula is nothing new, like its art style or the mechanics made available by the mystic harpoon. But when every single part works in conjunction with the others, Olija becomes a super rewarding game, where puzzles make you feel smart and fights make you feel strong: not every game needs to be super difficult.
Review in Italian | Read full review
We hope that Skeleton Crew Studio will not stop at one game, and we'll learn the further story of relationships between Faraday and Olija in the sequel.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Olija is, simply put, a great 2D action-adventure game. Developers Thomas Olsson and Skeleton Crew Studio knew exactly what they set out to deliver. This is a focused, refined adventure that'll captivate you for a short while and provide you with a bite-sized albeit worthwhile journey.
Olija has a fun gimmick, great visuals, and is only occasionally let down by levels that don't quite fully make use of its fun, core mechanic.
As Faraday, the setup is simple, you're a lone shipwreck survivor left to pick up the pieces, rescue those lost or trapped, and lead them through a fantastical world. Rebuild.
One of the first games of 2021 I’ve sank my teeth into, Olija certainly has set the bar high.
With Olija, what you see is what you get. It is well-executed for the most part and is an absolute joy to play. If this is your type of game, don't hesitate to pick this one up.
Philosophic and touching story which doesn't quite suit its gameplay.
Review in Russian | Read full review
This is interesting legend about castaway with courage and harpoon. Just a bit short.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Unfortunately, there's little to bring in those who simply lack those gaming memories. The pixelated look can easily be judged as hard to understand, stifling experimentation and making it hard to enjoy the exploration. The harpoon mechanics are solid but they cannot sustain the game on their own. More care to make it accessible for a wider range of players would have made the entire experience more attractive.
Olija’s adventure might be a short one, but it’ll certainly prove memorable for players thanks to its fun harpooning-action and its minimalistic yet impressive visual style. Add to that an intriguing narrative that’ll keep you hooked in until the very end and it’s clear that Devolver Digital and Skeleton Crew Studio have a winner on their hands here. Admittedly, the combat mechanics were a little underwhelming and the lack of challenge did feel like low points of the journey, but Olija still did more than enough to ensure that its harpoon-fuelled escapade is one that fans of 2D adventures won’t want out miss out on.
It may not look like much to begin with, but when Olija gets going it’s a captivating experience. Pixelated violence paired with the minimalism of its peers, it’s as worthy as any other game with Devolver’s blessing behind it.
I think adventures like Olija are quite appreciated, with its simple layout but worked and with clear effort behind, and a direct gameplay but with substance as well. An adventure game that combines combat, platforming, classic story, well crafted narrative and art, and fun, quite fun. The so classic and even necessary "what it does, it does well".
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Olija is a fun mystical little game that doesn’t overstay its welcome lasting only 6 or 7 hours at best, boss battles aren’t really that difficult even the final one felt way to simple. Really the only thing that will impede your gameplay is the game locking up, we were playing on the Switch and we found the game having moments of slowdown nearing the end to the point it crashed in the middle of a boss fight and even silently crashed during the final cutscene with the screen staying black and the music fading away.
With it’s very retro pixelated look you could walk into Olija expecting a similarly old-school experience, but you’d be wrong...
Olija is a beautiful minimalistic game, that includes some interesting mechanics, such as the use of a magic harpoon and the Lunar Sword, to classic "metroidvania" gameplay.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Olija is a well-made and enjoyable action-adventure; lacking, however, of qualitative touches able to distinguish it from a tough competition. It remains, in any case, a well-made and enjoyable game.
Review in Italian | Read full review